Wash-board



(Model.)

B. H. ST. JOHN.

WASH BOARD.

4 No. 262,853. Patented Au .15,'1882-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSWELL H. ST. JOHN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

WASH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 262,853, dated August 15, 1882.

Application filed May 26, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, B. H. ST. JOHN, of Toledo,in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wash-Boards and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which-- a Figure l is a front view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing the guard-board in two positions.

This invention relates to wash-boards; and the nature of my invention consists in a guard board which is so applied to the frame of the machine thatitis automatically held in a folded or annpright position, as will be fully understood from the annexed drawings, when taken in connection with the following description.

The letter A designates the rubbing-surface of a wash-board, and B B are the two paral lel sides thereof, which are provided with a cross-board, C, and extended below the rubbing-surface to form legs, as shown. These parts may be constructed in the usual ormost improved manner.

D designates a guard-board, which is designed to prevent the water from dashing back uponthe person while washing, and for this reason I shall denominate the said board D a dash-board. The board D is constructed with a notch at each end, which is adapted to receive a cam, E. The said notch leaves a shoulder at (t, and also a pivotal portion, 12. The two cams E E are rigidly secured to the sides B B and closely. abut against the crossboard H, which is obliquely arranged with respect to the hack board of the wash-board. The cams E E are notched at c to receive the pivotal portions b, and to allow these portions play in a direction with respect to the broad side of the dash-board D. Between the said pivotal portions and the outer shoulders of the notches in the cams E, I apply springs d, and at the outer portions of the cams E, I form notches e. The curves of the cams E are such that when the dash-board D is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the free end of this board will lie upon the cross-bar G, and the springs d will hold the pivotal end against the back of the wash-board proper. In the act of adjusting the dash-board to the position indicated in Fig. l the springs 01 01 will be brought into play, and will cause the shoulders or to bear on the peripheries of the cams E, and when the dash-board is in place the springs will, by their retraction, bring the shoulders at thereof into the notches c of the cams and thus lock the board. It is thereby seen that the board D is adjustable in the two positions described by reason of the notched cams, the shoulders at the ends of this board,its pivotal portions, the cams, and the springs, which give an auto matic action to the board D when it is moved into position to serve its purpose.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A wash-board having a dash-board, D, pivoted between its side bars, the shoulders a, on said dash-board, the cams having notches in them, and springs adapted to act on the pivotal portions of the said board by retracting them in the notches, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a wash-board, a pivoted dash-board, springs acting on the latter, and cams having notches in them, adapted to receive and,in connection with the springs,to hold said board in the working position, substantially in the manner described.

3. The combination of a springactuated folding dash-board, the notched cams rigidly fixed to the sides of the board, the cross-bar G, and the inclined cross-board H, all constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix mysignaturein presence of two witnesses.

ROSWELL H. ST. JOHN.

Witnesses RATHBURN FULLER, W. A. GoLLINs. 

